Note: These spells are not my original creations. They are the products of Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch, GURPS Line Editor, from this post on the official Steve Jackson Games forums. I found them in a file on my hard drive (as I've found all of my posts so far), simply called "New Spells" with no attribution. I assumed I'd written them at some point. Thanks to +Peter V. Dell'Orto for pointing out my mistake.ComaRegular;
Resisted by HT
The subject immediately falls into a coma; see p.
B429 for effects. This will kill him if he fails to revive,
meaning that Coma is likely to be seen as a "death spell"
in many settings. Awaken can revive the victim, but is cast at the
usual -3 for an unconscious subject. Elixirs of Awakening and
conventional medicine work normally.Duration:
Permanent, unless reversed by Awaken.Cost: 10.Time
to Cast: 3 seconds.Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Sleep.Heart
AttackRegular;
Resisted by HT
The subject immediately suffers a heart a…

The aether frigate forms the core of
the French Royal Space Navy. Its Pascal Drive propels it through
space and generates a bubble of breathable atmosphere around the
ship. Meanwhile, a Necessary Grace Plant draws psychic energy from
duty psis, powering the ship's telekinetic lift, lightning cannons,
and psychomagnetic deck guns. The frigate's armor plating is a
complex lattice of Martian ceramic and Venusian carbon-steel, and the
forward hull is reinforced to serve as a ram in close combat.
The frigate carries a complement of
just over 400 souls, berthed in tight quarters. All ship's functions
are manual, from stoking the furnaces to operating the deck guns to
plotting courses. Front
Hull System
[1] Armor,
Advanced Metallic Laminate (dDR 20)
[2] Control
Room (comm/sensor 8, 10 control stations)
[3-4] Habitat
(95 bunkrooms, 15 cabins, 10-bed sickbay)
[5!*] Weapons,
Medi…

One of the defining features of near-future games is the ubiquity of computers. Many adventures center around so-called "net runs," intrusions into secure computer networks by talented hackers with cutting-edge equipment. Biotech computers can take the place of traditional electronics, and may make elements of cyberpunk worlds more feasible. The first step to biocomputing is the inclusion of vatbrain computers (GURPS Biotech, p. 28). Bigger and more power-hungry than traditional computers, vatbrain computers have the benefit of mimicking the human brain, running sapient software more efficiently. This leads to more prevalent AI, with human-level volitional intelligences running on expensive microframes at TL9 and portables by TL10. At TL10, sponge computers become feasible, eliminating the bulky life-support equipment of vatbrains. By TL11, sponge computers can be ingested and grown inside the human body, replacing computer implants and puppet implants. Below are some sample …

I created this technique for a character my wife wanted to play in a GURPS Banestorm game that never got off the ground. She was going to be an elf gladiator who fought with wooden sticks enchanted with Essential Wood and Staff.Spell-Dazzle StrikeAverage Default: prerequisite skill-5. Prerequisite: Any unarmed combat or Melee Weapon skill; the ability to cast one or more Melee spells; cannot exceed prerequisite skill. The turn after you successfully hit a target with a Melee spell, you may attempt a Spell-Dazzle Strike. You attack quickly while the effects of the spell still disorient your target, making it harder for them to defend against your strike. Your target is at -2 to Parry or Block or -1 to Dodge. You can also use this technique as part of a Rapid Strike following a held Melee spell. If you do, this technique takes an additional -1 penalty.

In Pyramid #3/63, Jason "PK" Levine presented The Power of Sorcery, a system of magic which allows for magical improvisation as well as known spells in the form of advantages. In that article, PK gave a selection of Fire spells converted from GURPS Magic as worked examples.

The space drake is a giant dragon-like
creature nearly 60 feet long. The drake is comfortable both on the
ground, in space, and in atmosphere. It walks on the ground on four
powerful legs and can fly swiftly on vast wings that sprout from its
back. Its mouth is filled with razor sharp teeth as long as a man,
and its tail can swat helicopters from the sky. Its most dangerous
weapon, though, is its breath: the space drake can spit devastating
lightning from its maw.
The average space drake is sapient but
not very intelligent (IQ 7) with average agility (DX 10). It is
aggressive in a fight, maneuvering to face its enemies so it can use
its breath weapon. The armored scales are also thinner on its hind
quarters, leading the drake to protect its rear. Front
Hull System
[1-2] Armor,
Organic (dDR 4)
[3] Maw
(31d-1 cut)
[4!] Digestive
System (2d+2 corrosive dDamage)
[5!] Weapon,
Major Battery (Hidden fixed-mounted 30MJ lightning cannon)
[6] Reactionless
Engine, Standard Reactionless (0.5G)
[c…

The latest issue of Pyramid Magazine is out, and it includes my article, "Thoroughly Modern Magic." In this article, I updated the Industrial Enchantment rules from GURPS Technomancer and GURPS Magic Items 3 for Fourth Edition. It features the complete rules, including a table that works out all the math for each tech level, a magical style in the format of GURPS Thaumatology: Magical Styles, a template for creating enchantment line mage characters, and a sample NPC built using that template.

I wrote the first version of this article in 2007, back when Pyramid was still a weekly HTML zine, and it's gone through a few versions since then. I'm really happy to finally see it in print.

The biotech equivalent of skill chips, skill pills are ultra-tech drugs that grant a bonus to a single skill. Using a combination of targeted neurotransmitters and coded RNA, the drug temporarily reprograms the character's brain to perform better at specific tasks. Skill pills are not available for skills that rely on learned information, including scientific skills, Expert Skills, etc.

Skill pills are available in the form of pills (naturally), contact agents (patches), and injections. Pills require 30 minutes to take effect, patches take 5 minutes, and injections are effectively instant. The character must fail a HT-3 roll for the drug to take effect. Pills and patches last for (25 - HT)/4 hours, while injections last for (25 - HT) minutes. Multiple doses extend the duration; i.e., three injections would grant you a skill bonus for (25 - HT)¥3 minutes. Skill pills can grant a bonus of +1 to +3. Skill pills do not grant the skill itself; if the character taking the drug does not k…

Here are a pair of rituals for Ritual Path Magic that allow the caster to control an area. One makes it nearly impossible to leave a room, while the other is a traditional fairy tail barrier.
Room LockSpell Effects:
Lesser Control Crossroads. Inherent
Modifiers: none. Greater
Effects: 0 (x1).
This ritual causes a doorway or other
portal to lead back into itself. Someone walking through the doorway
will find himself entering the same room he just left.
Many casters include a Lesser Control
Magic effect to define a password that allows one to breach the Room
Lock effect. Typical
Casting: Lesser Control Crossroads
(5) + Duration, 1 hour (3).
Wall of ThornsSpell Effects:
Greater Create Body. Inherent
Modifiers: Area of Effect + Damage, . Greater
Effects: 1 (x3).
This spell summons a wall of thick,
thorny brambles up to 4 yards high, 1 yard thick, and 15 yards long,
in whatever shape you desire. The wall blocks movement, but it can be
chopped down. Each one-yard section of wall has DR 3 and 1 H…